There are so many factors that always subject an organisation to change: it could be a regulation, it could be a disruptive technology, it could be a process improvement, it could be a competition from a traditional rival or a new entrant to the market, it could be an economic recession or boom, and also – as we have seen in the last one and a half years or so – a pandemic. The list can go on. The key point is, change is inevitable.
In a recent article in the Forbes magazine (March 9, 2020 issue) Sam Tsima has mentioned, ‘We are living in times wherein change is the only constant. It is often referred to as the VUCA world: volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.’ No one will disagree with Tsima on this. Change is complex and responding to it in the right way comes up with many challenges.
How well prepared an organisation is to deal with a change ultimately decides success. The most important aspect of planning a change or responding to a change or implementing a change depends on how the urgency and the justification are conveyed to the employees (the real ‘people’) in an organisation. It will be they who will ultimately be responsible for doing the right thing; and, that can involve learning, unlearning and relearning, preparing emotionally for the change, translating the knowledge learned into solid performance. As human beings, the first reaction by them to any news of change will be ‘WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)’. Communication plays a critical role in explaining what they need to know and do, but to enable them a critical factor / tool is coaching.
Coaching enables managers and leaders explain possible changes that will occur in relation their teams, how to prepare for it, how to transition from current (As is) to the future (To be), how to ensure the correct level of readiness, and building the capacity of the organization. Coaching is an important feature of a change practitioner’s toolkit and they can use it to develop sustainable change capability in the people of an organisation.
Some key considerations that might help a change practitioner in ensuring a sound coaching strategy are the following:
Making the project sponsors aware of the need for coaching. This includes coaching both leaders and people impacted by change, and also enabling leaders to coach the people they manage.
Spending time with mid-level and frontline managers to get an understanding of how and whether they conduct coaching for their team members.
Exploring the answers to these questions:
What tools are used by the organisation in coaching? Can these be utilised / improved?
What specific/ customised coaching tools can they create in relation to a specific project? Who are the key people who can assist with their SME knowledge in producing the coaching tools?
Focusing on and guiding people leaders on:
Developing the knowledge on how to change.
Creating the ability to implement the desired skills and behaviours.
Realising the importance of coaching, some methodologies, especially PROSCI® has developed the CLARC model (Communicator, Liaison, Advocate, Resistance Manager, Coach) which change practitioners and organisations will definitely find helpful. It recommends that people managers coach individual employees throughout the change, providing the necessary training, information and support they need to effectively adopt and use the change. People managers may want to utilise coaching activities to address barrier points that inhibit successful change.
Change practitioners must not shy away from explaining the importance of coaching to sponsors. They should be bold in explaining to project sponsors that coaching not only helps them, but also the people they manage, see the full perspective and the full impact of changes they are making.
Comments